


Nalu One Shot Collection

by Sketchy788



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-03
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-10-06 10:33:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 4,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20505527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sketchy788/pseuds/Sketchy788
Summary: A collection of mostly fluffy one shots and drabbles.





	1. Inside Natsu's Head

Lucy... 

The fire dragon slayer took one look at the blonde, dozing off in his lap. And not for the first time he felt a certain urge. 

The urge to stay with her, to keep her safe, to protect her no matter what. 

Even if she was just tired. In that case, if his girl needed sleep, she would get it. 

And gods have mercy on anyone dumb enough to interfere. 

He chuckled. She stirred, and he quickly stroked a hand over her hair, coaxing her back to sleep with more gentleness than he knew he even possessed. 

His girl...weird to think about, but that's how he saw her. How? Why? He didn't know, it didn't matter. 

What mattered was, he felt it. Dense as he was, he thought he had noticed something lately. In the year they had been apart Lucy had grown stronger, bolder, more open with showing affection. 

It showed in her actions, her words. It showed in her eyes, the way she looked at him when she thought he wasn't looking. 

It showed right now in the way she freely cuddled with him in her sleep, in the way her mouth curled into a gentle smile. 

They were so much more than they had been, so much more than friends...

He stroked her hair again. She stirred a little then snuggled a little closer to him.   
Soon enough they would talk, sort out this interesting predicament. 

But right now, for the first time in written memory, Natsu Dragneel was content with sitting still, with enjoying a rare quiet moment with his sleeping warrior princess. 

Peace...


	2. Interesting predicament

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a sequel to chapter one.

"Natsu?"

Lucy's voice pulled him out of his daydreams. Thoughts of food and fighting could wait. 

"Yeah?"

"...what are we?" 

Gulp... He hadn't expected her to ask that...

"Humans? Wizards?" 

"No, no. I mean, what's our relationship?" 

"Ummm...teammates and best friends, I guess." 

"Are we, though?" He looked at her and noticed something. She was fidgeting, blushing, looking more uncomfortable than she should. 

"Wait. What d'ya mean, Lucy?" 

"I..." She faltered before shifting into a more confident stance. "This...what we have, it doesn't feel like we're just best friends."

"Because we're not." The words came out before he could stop them. His face felt like it was on fire. Well, too late to stop now. "You're more than just my best friend. You're my girl." 

"Natsu...I...all this time I thought you were just being nice..."

"I wouldn't uproot a sacred tree just to be nice, Luce." She was blushing, eyes widened at this turn of events. 

Here Natsu got impulsive. He lifted a hand to her cheek, tilted her chin, pulled his girl into a kiss. 

He didn't know what to expect. For all he knew she'd pull away, slap him, then storm off. 

She did none of those things. Instead she leaned into it. He even heard her sigh against his mouth. No resistance at all. 

Once the kiss broke she rested her head on his shoulder. Siiiigh. She was still blushing but there was a change in her expression.

She looked...happy. 

At peace. 

Perfect...


	3. Harmony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Nalu Fluff Week 2019.

Harmony…

One simple word, so many meanings. 

Sometimes it meant listening to nature with your lover on a cool moonlit night. 

Sometimes it meant agreement, peace.

And sometimes…

...Sometimes it meant something else. 

All was calm on Strawberry Street that cool summer night. Crickets chirped and the crescent moon hung overhead. In a certain apartment, a certain couple lay together in bed. Spent from passionate lovemaking, relaxed from a shared bath. 

Natsu dozed off easily.

Lucy was still awake, just kinda relaxing in his embrace for a while. Slow, even breaths, soft snores. So comforting, so hypnotic… 

She was barely awake when she heard a single word.

“Lucy...” Tense. Voice harsh. “No...Don’t hurt her!!!!!” 

Her eyes flew open. 

“Natsu...Natsu...wake up...” Nightmares...since when did he get nightmares? She tried shaking him. He didn’t budge, only murmured more.

“Dammit Zeref leave her alone!”

That sent a chill down her spine. So she opted for a more, say, extreme measure. She smacked his cheek. “Wake UP, Natsu!” 

He stirred. Sloooowly opened his eyes. 

“...Lucy? You...you’re okay...” 

“I’m fine, Natsu. Zeref’s gone. You...it… it was a nightmare...” 

“I know.” Exhale. “I’ve been havin’ ‘em a lot lately.” 

“Are they always about me?” 

“Yeah.” He was blushing. 

“I think maybe, subconsciously, you’re afraid of losing me.” 

“Subconscious… that means in my head, right?” 

“Right. But you don’t have to worry, Natsu. I don’t plan on leaving you any time soon.” 

“Good to know.” A grin. “Cuz I ain’t lettin’ you go anywhere.” 

“Oh really? Not even to sleep?” Lucy giggled, then yawned.

“Sleep’s acceptable. C’mere.” He pulled her closer. Then he kissed her forehead before letting her shift down so her head was nestled against his neck. She nuzzled him, and let one hand stroke his chest right around his heart. “That...that feels nice.” 

“Good. Try and get some sleep, alright?”

“Only if ya keep doin’ that...” 

Lucy could only smile in response. For a while the pair lay together cuddling, occasionally whispering sweet words of adoration. 

Somehow Natsu’s very presence calmed her. 

Somehow Lucy’s hand stroking over his skin soothed the nightmare-stricken slayer. 

Eventually their breaths slowed, eventually they dozed off in one another’s arms. 

No more nightmares.

Just peace, derived from the comforting presence of love. 

Harmony...


	4. Smile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heading back to Magnolia. Flash fic for Nalu Fluff Week 2019.

Early evening. The countryside outside of Magnolia, mid summer. 

Team Natsu had just wrapped up a job in a nearby village, somehow without destroying anything in the process. They had collected their rewards from a rather thankful mayor. And now they were headed home. 

Erza led the way, with Wendy and Carla riding on top of her suitcases. Gray and Natsu walked in the middle, bickering over some petty thing. Lucy trailed behind with Happy on her shoulder. 

She sighed. 

Somehow this caught Natsu's attention. 

He stopped arguing and stopped walking. He waited for Lucy to catch up and held out his hand. 

The moment she took his hand her face lit up in a smile. 

So they walked the rest of the way to the guild hall hand in hand, the same sweet smile on her face the whole time.

Natsu was grinning from ear to ear. Money and treasures were cool and all, but getting to walk hand in hand with his girl was his favorite part of wrapping up jobs. 

And Lucy's smile was the best reward of all.


	5. Mischief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natsu demonstrates a new secret ninja technique.

Mischief was one of Natsu’s specialties, second only to his skill as a fire dragon slayer. 

And not surprisingly, he got even more mischievous when he was up to something. Lucy knew that. Hell, all of Fairy Tail knew that, for that matter. 

So she wasn’t really surprised to find her pink haired lover hiding in her apartment when she got home that afternoon. 

She smiled to herself, seeing tufts of hair sticking out from the other side of her dresser. Pretended to ignore it, then sat down in her favorite chair with a book.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him leap across the room. He hid behind the curtain for a few minutes, legs clearly visible on the ground. Then he leapt behind Lucy’s chair. 

“Neenja!”

“Hi, Natsu. What exactly are you doing?” 

“Secret neenja stealing technique. Shh!”

“..Natsu. Ninjas don’t steal. And anyway what on earth could you possibly be stealing in my h---” Before she could finish that sentence she felt sweet warmth and a wondrously familiar mouth against hers.

Ohh, she got it now. 

This particular ‘neenja’ could steal from her any time.

Besides, a little mischief never hurt anyone…


	6. Cafe - Fluff Week '19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meeting at a small cafe.

It was a cool evening in early autumn. A blonde sat at one of Magnolia's many outdoor cafes.

She had a book in her hand but her mind was clearly elsewhere. The girl kept glancing around every few minutes.

Watching, waiting.

Her partner, her boyfriend, was supposed to be back any moment from his latest job.

And of course, he was running late. Any moment had turned into two hours.

Oh well. She was okay with waiting on their date night.

...As long as he wasn't much later.

Right when she was about to bury her nose in her book a familiar loud voice caught her attention.

About time, she thought with a smile as she put her book away and beckoned him to the table.

He couldn't simply sit down like a normal person. No, that wasn't his way.

He ran over, scooped her into his arms, and twirled her around. Then he treated her to a kiss and settled her back into her chair before claiming the seat next to her.

They finally ordered food, much to the relief of the cafe staff.

They talked about everything, ate, and talked some more. You'd have thought he was gone for a month and not just a day.

She didn't mind. She listened to every word he had to say, every typically ridiculous detail of the job.

He kept his hand on hers the whole time. The constant touch was comforting...although it became more discreetly sensual the longer it went on.

He brushed his thumb over her palm oh so deliberately. She blushed and leaned into it, whispering a suggestion so nobody but the slayer could hear, a suggestion he wasn't about to refuse.

"Let's go to my place."


	7. Cosplay/Scarf - Fluff Week '19

Ever since they had started dating, Natsu had picked up an interesting habit. He frequently took showers at Lucy's place.

On the one hand, Lucy wasn't too thrilled about it. He was prone to making a mess, and she feared her bathroom would be a casualty to his slovenly nature.

On the other hand, at least he was bathing.

Every time he went to shower, his clothes were shed en route. Sandals were kicked off at the door, jacket or vest draped over a chair. His scarf and pants mercifully remained on until he got to the bathroom. Lucy didn't know if she could handle even the idea of him walking around her apartment in the altogether.

The thought alone made her blush no matter how intimate their relationship was...and it was pretty intimate.

Old habits died hard, indeed.

She usually just left his clothes where they lay. Today, however, she felt a bit playful and silly.

That jacket of his was calling her name.

So she let impulse take over and slipped it on over her shorts. Zipped it up, fastened the belt. Realized just how different their physiques were.

Then she stood in front of the mirror doing poses that were silly and very much like Natsu.

He chuckled.

She froze, blushed.

"Looks good on you. You're missing something though."

The look on his eyes was absolutely devilish. Lucy gulped, not sure what he was up to.

He didn't waste any time. He wrapped his scarf around her then pulled her into his arms.

"It's only right that my girl gets to wear my scarf when she steals my clothes."

A sweet kiss.

Suddenly Lucy was very glad she decided to try a little cosplay...


	8. Date/Movie Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natsu takes Lucy to a fancy restaurant...will the restaurant survive?!

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Our heroes were standing in Lucy's apartment, decked out in pretty stylish clothing.

It was for good reason. They had planned to go to Magnolia's newest posh restaurant, Crimson Feather. And at this particular establishment, only the finest would do.

Lucy knew, just knew, Natsu wasn't exactly comfortable with this sort of thing. But he refused to back down.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I wanna take my girl to the nicest place in town. If that means wearing this damn thing, so be it."

"Well, in that case, we better get going. By the way, you look amazing. The suit suits you."

Right away his face lit up.

"Thanks!"

"You're welcome, love." Kiss on the cheek. "Let's go."

And so, hand in hand, Natsu and Lucy made their way to the Feather.

For the majority of the night things went rather smoothly...but Lucy could tell Natsu was uncomfortable, that he was only holding it together to make her happy.

And she loved him for that, along with the millions of other things she loved him for.

As fate would have it Gray and Juvia came in right when Natsu and Lucy were getting ready to leave.

To nobody's surprise the fire slayer and ice mage exchanged their usual heated bickering banter that sounded like it would degrade into a brawl, restaurant be damned.

...at least it did until Lucy distracted Natsu by grabbing his arm.

"Don't. Please."

Immediately his expression changed from near rage to concern. They waved at their guild mates then made their way outside into the cool night air.

"Sorry, Lucy. Old habits die hard."

"It's okay, Natsu. Forget about it." She smiled. The warmth of her expression pushed the concern from his mind, and he smiled right back at his girl. "Let's go to my place and watch movies."

"Sounds good. Hop on!"

"Natsu, I'm in a dress!"

"Who cares? I'll torch anyone who looks at your ass anyway."

"Fiiiine..." With that she hopped onto his back and he took off running. Lucy gave up trying to keep her skirts in place and just enjoyed the trip home courtesy of her boyfriend's strong legs.

In no time at all the pair were cuddled up on Lucy's couch, watching movies like they had so many times before. Natsu even munched from a big bowl of popcorn...although every so often he would sneak a few kisses from his girl.

Truth be told, Lucy didn't care about how fancy a date was. To her all that mattered was spending quality time bonding with Natsu.

And that's exactly what they did.


	9. Spirits - Fluff Week '19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stargazing on a clear summer night.

It was a clear summer night in the town of Magnolia. The stars dazzled, accented by a bright full moon. 

In other words it was the perfect night for a stargazing date. That’s exactly why Natsu led Lucy up a certain hill overlooking the town and the sea. 

As soon as they got to the right spot Lucy sat down, gazed up at that sky, sighed. Natsu settled down next to her, pulled her into his arms, and smiled. 

“Like it?”

“I love it. It’s like...like the spirit realm came out to put on a show tonight. Thanks, Natsu...”

His only immediate response was a kiss. No surprise, he would do anything for her, as long as it made her smile.

And this definitely made her smile.

For a while they simply lay together and admired the night sky...until his voice broke the silence.

“Lucy?”

“Hm?”

“Will you marry me?”

“Huh?” She quirked her head at him. Was her amazing husband losing his damn mind? “Natsu...You asked me that five years ago.”

“Yeah, I know.” He blushed and gave one of his cute smiles. “I just wanted to ask you again. Seemed like the right moment for it.”

“I said yes five years ago...and I’ll say yes tonight. I love you, Natsu.”

“Love ya too, Lucy.” Soft, sweet kiss. “Together forever, right?” 

“Right.” She giggled. Then Natsu gave her a weird look, put a hand on her tummy. “What? What’s with the face?”

“You coulda told me you were pregnant...” 

“I was waiting on the right moment.” She giggled again, rested her forehead on his. “Surprise...” 

“That’s great. C’mere.” He pulled her into a kiss, so tender and loving it seemed almost at odds with his brash nature. Lucy couldn’t help marveling at that even as they lay back down and enjoyed the breathtaking display above them. 

That was just how her Natsu was, and she wouldn’t want him any other way…


	10. Tender Touches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natsu gives Lucy a little TLC on a certain night when she can't sleep... (Written because I'm a sucker for the trope of Natsu helping Lucy with cramps. Heat hands + aches = heaven.)

Natsu still had a habit of sneaking into Lucy's apartment at odd times. He had a key as well as permission to come over whenever, a perk of dating.

But he still snuck in through her window from time to time.

And on one particular occasion he was quite glad he did.

It was late one summer night. Natsu and Happy had just finished up some odd job. And for some reason Natsu decided that he needed to go to his girlfriend's house. After midnight? Who cared?

So, with some help from a certain blue cat, Natsu hopped through the window. He turned his attention to her bed, expecting to see Lucy there...but she was nowhere to be found.

"Lucy? You here?"

"Y...yeah." She crept in from the kitchen. She looked and sounded absolutely miserable, clutching something to her tummy. "I was having trouble sleeping and went to get my rice bag since you weren't around."

Oh. Natsu got it immediately. He didn't understand much about women's bodies, but Lucy had explained cramps to him. They sucked, they hurt, and he felt the need to take care of her when they hit.

Like tonight.

"Don't worry about the rice bag. I'll help ya."

"You don't have to...I know you're probably exhausted from the job."

"Nah, I'm fine. I'm never too tired to take care of my girl. Now get over here already."

Lucy did what he said. Truthfully she loved it when he showed his caring, nurturing side. And truthfully, the fire dragon slayer's heat was far more effective than any old rice bag.

So she snuggled into her bed and into her boyfriend's oh so welcome embrace. He shifted one hand to her lower back, while the other settled on her butt.

What the hell is he doing?! She peeked up at him with an eyebrow raised. He just smiled.

Maybe a minute later she had her answer. He heated up both hands, treating her to that wonderful and soothing warmth. Siiiigh.

Much better.

"Thanks, Natsu." Yawn, snuggle.

"Welcome. Sleep well, Lucy." With that he kissed her forehead and rubbed her aches until he heard her snoring peacefully.

Natsu Dragneel was pretty powerful. He took delight in destroying things and kicking ass. But lately he had started to realize something.

Nothing was quite as satisfying as laying next to his girl, his Lucy, knowing she was at peace in his arms thanks to a few tender touches.

Love was pretty damn cool...


	11. Sometimes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit of poetic reflection.

Sometimes two people meet and form the bond of friendship.

Sometimes, over time, friendship becomes love. 

Sometimes Natsu would go off on missions by himself. Every time, he brought Lucy back a souvenir and plenty of warm kisses. 

Sometimes Lucy just wanted to write. Natsu was okay with that. He gave her space until she was ready, then cuddled with her when she wanted company again. 

Sometimes they went on intense missions. Sometimes they took the simple jobs. Either way, it was money and, more importantly, time to spend together.

Sometimes they spent their spare time sparring. Other times, they just relaxed together, happy to enjoy a day off in peace.

Sometimes, despite it all, they argued and fought, as all healthy couples did. They never fell asleep angry, always made up before bed. 

Sometimes their intimacy was frantic, animalistic, fiery in its passion. Sometimes they lay together making slow sweet love accented with tender words and kisses.

Sometimes, they simply lay in one another’s arms, too exhausted from the day’s adventures to do much other than kiss and cuddle until they fell asleep. 

Love was love, and they appreciated every moment of it, every sweet sometime that meant the world.

~fin


	12. Scent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pertaining to stinky dragon slayers...

"Dammit Natsu!"

"What? What'd I do?!"

"It's more what you didn't do. We've been over this." The redhead was absolutely livid, launching into one of her famous "big sister" moments. "You stink! When was the last time you bathed?"

"Last night, right after we, uhh..." he exchanged a quick glance with Lucy, who immediately blushed. Not exactly discreet. "...got home from a job request."

Lucy's blush deepened at the thought of the previous night's activities. She snuggled closer to him, rested her head on his shoulder.

"I think he smells just fine."

"You would." Gajeel sneered from the next table over, where he was busy looking through a baby book with Levy.

"Yeah, Lu. Slayers are known to stink to everyone but their mates. It's something to do with pheromones. To me, Gajeel smells like a rainy day just before a thunderstorm." She let out a content sigh as she rested her head on the iron slayer's bicep.

"Really...cool." Lucy was actually a bit surprised she hadn't noticed sooner. Well...that would explain why everyone else thought Natsu stank...Personally she had thought of his scent as reminiscent to a camping trip. Natural, earthy, smoky.

She giggled. Natsu noticed.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh nothing. I was just thinking about going home and taking a nice hot bath...if you wanted to join me, that is..."

He didn't even have to say anything. All he did was scoop his girl into his arms and take off running. Lucy barely had time to wave good night to her friends.

But she didn't mind. There was nothing quite like soaking in the tub in the arms of the man she loved...


	13. I Love You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Those three words he rarely says but always expresses

If the average person was put to the task of picking the loudest member of the Fairy Tail guild, odds are they would name Natsu Dragneel. 

Rambunctious, destructive, loud. That was the fire dragon slayer in a nutshell. 

Still, there were some things he never really said. The boy was hopeless at verbalizing certain emotions, including love. 

Luckily for Lucy Heartfilia, he had found other ways to express that particular emotion, other ways to say "I love you."

He said it when he shielded her from enemy attacks. 

He said it when he took her hand and smiled before dragging her off on some new adventure. 

He said it when, mid argument, he did something ridiculous like lean over and lick her nose.

He said it when he snuck into her bed while she was sleeping to cuddle. 

He said it when he held her close and kissed away her tears. 

He said it on those steamy nights when they made love. 

And he said it when, even in sleep, he pulled her close and nuzzled her forehead. 

Really, it didn't matter that Natsu rarely verbalized those three words. He had mastered saying it in so many other ways. 

And Lucy couldn't help but love him right back. 

~fin


	14. The first time he said it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first time Natsu says a certain phrase. Hurt/comfort

Pain. 

Lucy lay on her bed, face buried in her pillow, tears streaming. Her body hurt from the rigors of a particularly intense mission. 

Her heart hurt from another type of pain. Something, some trivial little thing, had made her think of the past, her childhood. 

And she missed her mother more than ever. 

She wept, oblivious to time and outside disruption. She didn't even hear the knock on the door or, moments later, the window sliding open. 

She didn't realize Natsu had snuck in until she felt his hand on her shoulder.

He saw what she had been looking at, saw the old photo albums by her pillow. Saw her disheveled state. Understood immediately. 

"H-hi, Natsu." 

"Hey. C'mere." He pulled her into his arms, letting her rest her head on his shoulder. He didn't say anything else but he didn't have to. She got the hint, let the tears flow uninhibited. 

So warm, so sweet, so utterly wonderful. Really, he was the perfect shoulder to cry on. 

Once she had most of the tears out of her system she quirked her head and kissed his cheek. 

"Thanks, Natsu." 

"Welcome. I love you." 

Gasp. She pulled him closer, forehead to forehead. She knew how he felt, knew they shared a certain emotional connection, but hearing him say it was a different matter altogether. Especially since...

"You've never said that...before now, I mean." 

"You needed to hear it." 

"I did. And I love you, Natsu." 

No more words. He smiled at her for a moment. Then he tilted her head and treated her to a kiss that melted away all her sadness. 

Love.


End file.
